Hillary Clinton speaking in Ottawa Oct. 6

The consensus frontrunner for the Democratic nomination in 2016 – and perhaps the next president of the United States – will be in Ottawa Oct. 6 for a luncheon speech at the Ottawa Convention Centre, the Citizen has learned.

Clinton will arrive in the nation’s capital at a time of what many observers say is a strained Canada-U.S. relationship over issues such as the proposed Keystone XL pipeline; bilateral trade irritants; how to respond to the Israel-Gaza conflict; and delays in U.S. funding for a new Detroit-Windsor bridge.

The event is organized by Canada 2020, an Ottawa-based think-tank that has been working for six months to bring Clinton to the capital.

Clinton will deliver a speech and participate in a moderated question-and-answer session; the specific topic of the speech hasn’t been finalized.

“I think it’s no secret that she’s certainly interested in being a Democratic candidate, but hasn’t confirmed that yet,” said Tim Barber, co-founder of Canada 2020 and founding partner of Bluesky Strategy Group.

“We think that her perspective and, frankly, her world view, fits with our orientation . . . I do think that she’s one of the most recognizable people on the planet,” he said.

Tickets for the Ottawa event will cost $5,000 for a table of 10, with organizers hoping to attract at least 1,000 people to see the former U.S. secretary of state, senator and first lady.

Clinton has been delivering speeches around Canada and the U.S. in recent months to promote her new book, Hard Choices, including stops in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and Edmonton.

Canada 2020 hopes her Ottawa speech will build on issues she has discussed over the past few months, such as foreign affairs (including conflicts in Syria and Gaza, and the crisis between Russia and Ukraine); energy and environment in North America; and the Canada-U.S. relationship.

She has also discussed the importance of having more women participate in the global workforce and in politics.

As well, Clinton has addressed the sticky issue of the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport 830,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta’s oilsands and North Dakota’s Bakken formation to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Speaking to a business crowd in Toronto in June, she said the pipeline shouldn’t be seen as a proxy for the relationship between Canada and the United States, noting that “it is, after all, one pipeline.”

“A lot of people are wondering how she would handle Canada-U.S. in a different way from the Obama administration,” Barber said. “I think that she will give a little flash of what that could look like.”

Canada 2020 won’t disclose how much Clinton is being paid for the Ottawa appearance, but she has regularly charged hundreds of thousands of dollars per outing.

For instance, Clinton was paid $300,000 US for a speech at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in March.

The University at Buffalo, meanwhile, paid $275,000 for Clinton to speak last fall, according to a copy of the school’s contract with the Harry Walker Agency (which represents Clinton), recently released in the U.S. through freedom-of-information laws.

The contract with the University at Buffalo stipulated a handful of other requirements for the speech, including that she be the only person on stage during her remarks and that “a presidential glass panel teleprompter and a qualified operator” be provided if requested. Clinton’s office also had “final approval” on the moderator and the introducer, according to the contract.

“Bringing in someone of this calibre into a major G7 capital I think is a really fun, cool thing to do,” Barber said. “If she could announce her candidacy, that would be good, too,” he quipped.

Canada 2020 is a registered not-for-profit organization that operates on donations and bills itself as “progressive.” It’s paying for the event by selling tables, and through corporate sponsorships.

Clinton has been to Ottawa before, during her time as secretary of state, for meetings with other G8 foreign ministers – including in 2010, when she was at odds with Prime Minister Stephen Harper over the Conservative government’s refusal to fund abortions as part of its initiative on maternal and child health.

Luncheon details:

The Oct. 6 luncheon runs from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., with Hillary Clinton expected to be on stage for about one hour for the speech, and Q and A.

Big dollars for big speakers: payments to some prominent speakers

Hillary Clinton: Paid $300,000 US for a speech at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in March and $275,000 to speak at the University at Buffalo last fall (the money went to the Clinton family’s philanthropic organization).

Justin Trudeau, leader of federal Liberals: Had charged up to $20,000 for speeches to a variety of groups until 2012 (before he became leader), including one to the Grace Foundation in New Brunswick. The charity complained it lost $21,000 at an event for which Trudeau was paid $20,000 (Trudeau offered to repay the speaking fee). Does not charge speaking fees now.

Chris Hadfield, astronaut and first Canadian commander of the International Space Station: Fees are “$20,001 or more” as listed by Speakers’ Spotlight agency.

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